MUTARE- Top politicians in the Zanu (PF) provincial structure were last week trying to use the party annual conference which was held here as a platform to clip the wings of Commander of 3 Brigade Brigadier General Douglas Nyikayaramba.
Since Nyikayaramba appointment as 3 Brigade Commander in Manicaland, he has been actively involved in Zanu (PF) politics by sanctioning secret meetings with traditional leaderships and grassroot members without the blessing of the provincial executive.
The controversial brigadier has been denouncing other leaders in the provincial executive such as Governor Chris Mushohwe and Mike Madiro the chairman, saying they had no proper war credentials and had risen to the top of the party echelons through dubious means. He has described them as chancers who wanted to hijack the party for personal gains.
He has also called for the sitting MPs without war credentials to be sacked and replaced with war veterans and retired army officials in the coming general election scheduled for early next year. He has said he will make sure that they will not win the partys primary elections.
Nyikayaramba is reported to have teamed up with Zanu (PF) hardliner Didymus Mutasa in his smear campaign against newcomers. Sources said the politicians tried to table the matter during the conference so that President Mugabe will stop the brigadier from abusing his authority. Mushohwe wanted to use his closeness to President Mugabe, said an observer.
Observers said they did not think the matter was going to receive serious attention because Mutasa was involved and the army generals were in control and were oiling the party campaign machinery ahead of the election.
Sources said Nyikayaramba was on a special mission to help Zanu (PF) regain all the seats it lost to MDC during the 2008 harmonised elections by use of intimidation and harassment tactics. Nyikayaramba has publicly warned other political parties not to try and dislodge Zanu (PF) in the planned election. Governor Mushohwe fears that probably Nyikayaramba has political ambitions so he is positioning himself for a higher political position in the party and government. It was however, not immediately clear whether the team succeeded in bringing the matter against Nykayaramba to the conference which ended at the weekend.
Meanwhile the city of Mutare was besieged by army officers who were ordered by Nyikayaramba to patrol the streets in armoured cars and tankers to beef up security before the arrival of Mugabe at the conference. Mutare motorists complained of harassment from overzealous army officers. We were wondering whether the country was at war because I have never seen those tankers patrolling in the streets except on national events such as Defence Forces Day or army exhibitions, said Michael Hove of Dangamvura suburb.
Residents told The Zimbabwean On Thursday that the presence of the army was meant to instil fear in the urban electorate who are perceived to be pro-Movement of Democratic Change (MDC) and psyche people that Mugabe was still in charge. Thank God the conference is over it was just hell on earth. The military police officers were harassing innocent people. If they suspected you of being an MDC supporter they will search your vehicle thoroughly or just fine you for a silly offence, said Takanyuka Muchichwa.
Commuter operators were forced to put Zanu (PF) stickers and flags on their vehicles by youths militias. You had no choice but to put a flag or else you risk fined for cooked up charges by military police and traffic cops, said a bus driver who was plying the city-Dangamvura route.
An army officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said:We were told instil fear in the urban electorate because they were reversing the gains of hard-won independence by voting wrongly. We were instructed to sniff out opposition activists and discipline them. A 3 Brigade Public Relations Officer refused to comment referring all the questions to Nyikayaramba who was not reachable.
Post published in: News